Chromatograph



ocr, n',` 1944. P. AvERY 2,360,536

4CHROMATOGRAPH Filed 'May 19, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IE "'15 /47 :El E' I I ff.` ;V

Patented Oct. 17, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to display devices for generating color designs.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple machine for producing an ever-changing series of color-blendings.

Another object of the invention is to provide means, in a machine of the character described in which a plurality of color disks positioned in intimate relationship are rotatably driven so as to produce color blends caused by mutual interference of color segments carried by the disks, for continuously varying the rotational speeds of the color disks so that the recurrence of cycles of color patterns is minimized.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple means, in a machine of the type referred to, for micrometrically adjusting the disks so that their rotational speeds may be continuously varied.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel drive mechanism for a machine of the class described.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in a machine of the type referred to, means for simultaneously rotating and orbitally moving a plurality of segmentally colored disks so as to produce a circular color-interference pattern of maximum area.

' The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage which, together with the foregoing, will be specifically pointed out in the detailed description of the invention hereunto annexed. lt is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific form thereof herein shown and described as various other ernbodiments thereof may be employed within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the chromatograph of my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the structure of Figure l; the plane of section being indicated by the line 2 2 of the latter figure.

Figure 3 is a fragmental perspective view of one of the disk shaft journals.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of a modified form of my invention.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a rear elevational view, with the back cover removed, of the structure shown in Figure 4.

One form of my invention, illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, comprises a support or cabinet 4 havthe top thereof, an opening 1 peripherally'contoured to enclose a group of overlapping color disks 8. Mounted in the cabinet by screws 9, or otherwise, and extending across the opening 7 is a bracket I I having thereon bearing hubs I2 registering with the centers of the respective disks 8 and centrally bored to receive shafts I3 to one end of which the disks 8 are secured by collars I4, Collars I6 are pressed on or pinned to the other end of the shafts I3 so as to prevent axial movement of the latter in their journals. A bearing hub I1 is provided on the bracket I I, positioned at a point by planes passing transaxially through opposed pairs of the bearing hubs I2, having a central bore therein in which is journaled a drive shaft I8 having at one end thereof a friction wheel I9 and at the other end thereof a peripherally groovedlpulley 2|. The friction Wheel I9, as will be seen in Figure l, contacts the peripheries of all of the color disks 8. A motor 22, mounted on the oor 23 of the cabinet, carries a pulley 24 and a belt 26 is tractionally engaged therewith and with the pulley 2l so that the drive shaft I8 may be rotated. A rheostat 21, mounted on the cabinet panel 6 and controlled by a rotatable knob 28, is provided so that the speed of the motor 22 may be selectively governed. A switch 29 is also provided on the panel 6 for controlling the current flow to the motor 22 and also for controlling one or more tubular lamps 3l which are mounted in reflectors 32 secured to the panel 6 in such positions that the color disks 8 may be illuminated. Each of the color disks 8 is provided with a plurality of seg-v mental areas 33 each bearing a different color. Preferably, the areas 33 are coated with the primary colors red, yellow and blue with an additional area colored white or any combination of primary and secondary colors may be chosen as 0 desired. When the motor 22 is running, the friction wheel I9, contacting the peripheries of the color disks 8, will rotate the latter causing the colored segments 33 to move into overlapping relationship with the segments of adjacent disks and causing interference therebetween so as to produce optical blends of the various colors.

Means is provided for causing the respective color disks 8 to rotate at different speeds which may be equal to or less than the peripheral speed of the friction wheel I9. As shown in Figure 3, each of the bearing hubs I2 has its bore transaxially slightly enlarged, so that the shaft I3 may move bodily toward or from the axis of the friction Wheel I9, and each hub is further prouing a front panel 6 in which is formed, adjacent 55 vided with a notch 34 which divides the hub so trically within the cylindrical skirt 5| as to bare the shaft I3 between the sections of the hub. Adjacent each bearing hub I2 is a built-out portion 36 of the bracket I I upon which is provided a boss 31 to which one end of a leaf spring 38 is secured by means of an anchor screw 39 tapped into the boss 31. The other end of the leaf spring 38 is engaged with one side or the other of the shaft I3 as will be explained presently, and an adjustment screw 4|, passing through an aperture formed intermediate the ends of the leaf spring and tapped into the portion 36 of the bracket, is provided for flexing the spring. Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the uppermost spring 38 of the group is positioned below the shaft I3 and supports the shaft and its disk if the shaft floats in the bearing hub I2. By turning the adjustment screw 4| the upper disk 8 may be lowered from a position wherein its periphery is not in engagement with the friction wheel I9 to a position wherein the peripheries of the disk and wheel just touch or the screw 4| may be turned so that the leaf spring is depressed further than the shaft I3 can descend thus bringing the disk and friction wheel into peripheral engagement under the pressure of the full weight of the disk and the shaft. The side disks 8 may be moved into engagement with the friction wheel, under little or considerable pressure, by turning the screws associated therewith so as to flex the springs 38 inwardly. The lower disk and its shaft may be raised, against the pressure of gravity, by adjusting its screw 4| to flex the spring 38 upwardly. It will thus be seen that each disk 8 may be adjusted to provide a different degree of traction between it and the friction wheel I9. Thus, as the friction wheel rotates, there will be varying degrees of peripheral slippage between the friction wheel and disks with the result that an ever-changing series of color patterns will be.

created by the color disks and the possibility of a repeated cycle of patterns appearing is reduced to a minimum.

In Figures 4 to 6, inclusive, I have shown a modified form of my invention designed to produce more varied color patterns and ones which cover a maximum area. In this form of the invention, I provide a casing 46 having a front or cover plate 41 mounted thereon in which is formed a circular viewing aperture 48. A frusto-conical shield 49 is also mounted on the front plate 41, and concentric with the viewing aperture 48, and is provided with a cylindrical skirt 5I extending into the cabinet. Both surfaces 52 of the front plate and the shieldY are either highly polished or chromium plated so as to provide an annular light reflector bordering the viewing aperture 48. Lamps 53, mounted in sockets 54 which are supported by clips 56 attached by screws 51 to the rear of the front plate 41 within the aforementioned annular reflector, serve to project lightwithin the cabinet 46 at the bottom thereof, is y a support frame having a pair of spaced, vertically extending arms 59 provided with pairs of axially alined apertures forming journals for a rotor drive shaft 6I and for a countershaft 62 spaced below the shaft 6| Positioned concenand mounted on and for rotation with the rotor drive shaft, by means of a flanged collar y63 carried by the latter shaft, is a rotor disk 64 whose periphery clears the inner surface of the skirt so that the disk may be rotated therein by the shaft 6|. A motor 66, whose speed of rotation may be variably controlled by a suitable rheostat or variable inductor 61, is mounted on an' end of a spring arm 68 secured to and projecting from the support frame and carries a pulley 69 connected by a belt 1I with a. pulley 12 mounted on the countershaft 62. 'I'he spring arm 68 maintains a desired tension in the belt 1I so that maximum traction between it and the pulleys 69 and 12 is obtained. A second pair of pulleys 13 and an engaging belt 14 connect the countershaft 62 and the rotor drive shaft for rotation together. Thus, when the motor 66 is energized, the shaft 6| and the rotor disk 64 will be rotated at a rate which may be Widely varied by manipulating the rheostat or current controller 61. A bar 16 attached to one of the support frame arms 59, and at its ends to the sides of the cabinet 46, lends stability to the support frame.

Positioned at equidistantly spaced points on the rotor disk 64 is a plurality of centrally bored bearings 11 each of which has a color disk shaft 18 journaled therein paralleling, and adapted to be moved, upon rotation of the rotor disk 64, in an orbital path about, the axis of the rotor drive shaft 6|. Mounted on hubs 19, secured to an end of each color disk shaft 18, are circular color disks 8| each having its visible surface divided into a plurality of color areas 82. These areas are colored in contrasting shades preferably the primary colors red, yellow and blue. Each disk 8| has a diameter substantially equal to the radius of the rotor disk 64 and, if four disks are used, may be arranged in diametrically alined pairs, one pair radially overlapping the other pair as shown in the drawings. Two or three of the disks 8| may be used, in which case there would be no radial overlap, however it has been found that the most desirable results, as regards color patterns, are obtained by using four of the disks as shown.

Means is provided for rotating the color disks 8| as they are moved orbitally around the axis of the rotor drive shaft 6|. Mounted on an end of each shaft 18, within the cabinet 46, is a peripherally grooved pulley 83 each being tractionally engaged by an endless belt 84 so that all of the color disks are connected together for simultaneous rotation. It will be noted that the pulleys 83 of one pair of color disks differs in diameter from the pulleys of the other pair of color disks so that the respective pairs of disks are driven at different rotational speeds. Preferably, the diametral differences between pairs, or individual ones, of the pulleys are made to equal an odd fraction so that the chances of repeated cycles of color patterns appearing will be lessened as greatly as possible. One of the shafts 18 is fitted With a. spur gear 86, or its equivalent, which is in mesh with a pinion 81 rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 88 carried by and extending from the rotor disk 64. A pulley 89, also journaled on the stub shaft 88, is integrally connected and rotatable with the pinion 81. A second stub shaft 9|, fixed to and extending from the rotor disk in radially spaced relation to the stub shaft 88, journals integrally connected large and small pulleys 92 and 93 respectively, a belt 94, tensioned by a belt tightener 96, connecting the small pulley 93 and the pulley 89 for rotation together. A belt 91, tensioned by a belt tightener 98 connects the large pulley 92 to a pulley 99 which is fixed, against rotation, on one of the support frame arms 59. It will be seen, in Figure 6, that, when the rotor disk 64 is revolved, the belt 91 will be rotated aboutl the fixed pulley 99 thereby rotating the large pulley 92. This will result in the belt 94 being moved which will rotate the pulley 89 and pinion 81 thereby rotating the gear 86 causing rotation of all of the color disks 8| through the belt 84 and the pulleys 83. As the color disks are `rotated and simultaneously orbitally moved about the axis of the shaft Sl, at the same time being illuminated by the lamps 53, vivid color patterns created by blendings of the color segments 82 of the respective disks will occur, these patterns consisting of concentric areas of color which move, more or less rapidly depending upon the rotational speeds of the disks BI, radially of the circular pattern area created by the orbital movement of the disks. Although ordinary points may be used to color the segments 82 of the disks 8| it is within the scope of the invention to cement to the disks tiny fragments of colored glass, Cellophane or the like or to coat the disks with fluorescent paints and to employ ultra-violet lamps in place of the regular lamps 53.

The devices of my invention have proven useful in many ways such as attention attractors for advertising displays and as instruments for use in soothing and calming excited or overwrought persons. In the latter use the devices have been tested in doctors oilices and, when a patient in an excited or mentally depressed state is seated for only a short time before an operating machine they become so intensely interested, possibly because of a slight hypnosis caused by the whirling color disks, that the pulse and blood pressure quickly approach normal so that a more correct and thorough diagnosis of their real trouble may be more readily accomplished.

Having thus described my invention in detail, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A chromatograph comprising a support, a plurality of overlapped disks mounted for rotation on said support, each disk having thereon a plurality of segmental areas of different color, means common to each of and for rotating said disks, means carried by said support for projecting light rays onto said disks, and means for varying the rotational speed of each of said disks.

2. A chromatograph comprising a cabinet provided with a panel havingl an opening therein, a bracket mounted within said cabinet adjacent the said panel opening thereof, said bracket having thereon a plurality of bearing hubs, disk shafts journaled in said bearing hubs, disks carried by said disk shafts and positioned in overlapped relationship within said panel opening, means engaging the periphery of each disk foi` rotating said disks, said disks having thereon segmental areas of different colors, and means carried by said cabinet for illuminating said disks.

3. A chromatograph comprising a cabinet provided with a panel having an opening therein, a

bracket mounted within said cabinet adjacent the said panel opening thereof, said bracket having thereon a plurality of bearing hubs, disk shafts journaled in said bearing hubs, disks carried by said disk shafts and positioned in overlapped relationship within said panel opening, means engaging the periphery of each disk for rotating said disks, said disks having thereon segmental areas of different colors, means engaging the respective disk shafts for. varying the degree of engagement between said disks and said disk rotating means, and means carried by said cabinet for illuminating said disks.

4. A chromatograph'comprising a cabinet provided with a panel having an opening therein, a bracket mounted Within said cabinet adjacent the said panel opening thereof, said bracket having thereon a plurality of bearing hubs each having a notch therein and a disk shaft journaled therein and passing across said notch, disks carried by said disk shafts and positioned in overlapping relationship Within said panel opening, said disks each having thereon segmental areas of different colors, a drive shaft journaled in said bracket, a friction wheel carried by said drive shaft and tractionally engageable with the peripheries of said disks, a leaf spring associated with each disk shaft, said leaf spring having one end thereof secured to said bracket and the 1other end thereof engaging a side of a disk shaft, screws carried by said bracket and engaging said leaf springs for flexing said springs so as to bring the peripheries of said disks into greater or lesser tractional engagement with the periphery of said friction wheel, means for rotating said drive shaft, and means carried by said cabinet for illuminating said disks.

5. A chromatograph comprising a support having a viewing aperture therein, a drive shaft journaled on said support and positioned concentric vvith said viewing aperture, a rotor disk mounted for rotation with said drive shaft within the viewing aperture, means for rotating said drive shaft and rotor disk, color-disk shafts journaled on said rotor disk, color disks mounted on and rotatable with said color-disk shafts, a fixed element on said support, and means connecting said fixed element and said color-disk shafts for rotating said color-disk shafts when said rotor disk is moved relative to said xed element.

6. A chromatograph comprising a support having a viewing aperture therein, a drive shaft journaled on said support and positioned concentric with said viewing aperture, a rotor disk mounted for rotation with said drive shaft within the viewing aperture, a variable-speed motor connected with and to rotate said drive shaft, color-disk shafts journaled on said rotor disk, color disks mounted on and rotatable with said color-disk shafts, means connecting together said color-disk shafts for simultaneous rotation, a fixed element on said support, and means interposed between said xed element and a colordisk shaft for rotating said color disk shafts when said rotor disk is moved relative to said fixed element.

'7. A chromatograph comprising a cabinet having a viewing aperture in a side thereof, a frustoconical shield mounted Within the cabinet on the apertured side thereof and forming, in conjunction with said apertured side of the cabinet, an annular recessed reflector bordering said viewing aperture, said shield having a central tubular skirt formed thereon axially concentric with the viewing aperture, lamps in and cooperative with the reflector for projecting light rays toward the center of said viewing aperture, a support mounted within said cabinet, a drive shaft journaled on said support and positioned in axially concentric relation with said viewing aperture, a variable-speed motor carried by said support, means connecting said drive shaft to be driven by said motor, a rotor disk mounted on said drive shaft and positioned concentrically within said tubular skirt of the shield, color-disk shafts journaled in said rotor disk spaced radially from and paralleling said drive shaft, color disks carried by and rotatable with said color-disk shafts, said color disks having segmental areas of contrasting colors thereon and being positioned in relatively radially overlapped relation, drive pulleys carried by said color-disk shafts, a belt tractionally engaging said drive pulleys connecting said colordisk shafts together for simultaneous rotation, a xed pulley mounted on said support, and drive means interposed between said fixed pulley and a color-disk shaft for rotating said latter shaft when said rotor disk is rotated.

8. A chromatograph comprising a support, a plurality of overlapped disks mounted for rotation on said support, each disk having thereon a plurality of segmental areas of different color, a rotatable driving member having frictional engagement with the peripheries of al1 of said disks, means for rotating said driving member, and means for varying the degree of frictional engagement between said driving member and the respective disks so as to vary the respective rotational speed of the disks.

9. A chromatograph comprising a support, a

plurality of overlapped disks each mounted on a shaft, each disk having thereon a plurality of segmental areas of different colors, means for rotatively supporting said shafts, a rotatable driving member having frictional engagement with the peripheries of all of said disks, means for rotating the driving member, and means to adjusting said shafts radially with respect to the driving member to vary the respective rotational speeds of the disk.

10. A chromatograph comprising a support, a plurality of overlapped disks each mounted on a shaft, each disk having thereon a plurality of segmental areas of different colors, bearings for each of said shafts, the bearings being larger than the shafts so as to permit radial movement of the shafts therein, a rotatable driven member having frictional engagement with the peripheries of said disks, means for rotating said driving member, and means for individually adjusting the disk shafts radially within their respective bearings so as to vary the respective rotational speeds of the disks.

PARK AVERY. 

